“Working with my hands, being with women, and looking at who I came from, and the practices of them, has been the holy trinity of me feeling a deep sense of belonging that sugar and Netflix never could fill.” ~ Becca Piastrelli
Having just observed Thanksgiving Day in the US, a holiday that can be polarizing in its reminder of historical atrocities yet celebrated as a time of gratitude and family connection, this interview with Becca Piastrelli is both timely and meaningful. In an age of DNA tests and Google, Becca shares ways in which we can connect with our own ancestors more deeply, and face uncomfortable truths with integrity, curiosity and compassion.
In this interview, Becca shows us how the systems we live in (i.e. capitalism, patriarchy, etc) perpetuate loneliness, disconnection, and “not enough-ness,” and illuminate the importance of ancestral connection in reclaiming a sense of Belonging today. Becca shares her personal journey with ancestral work, how she is making reparations for colonizer ancestors, & how to connect with ancestors beyond giving a DNA sample.
We dive deep into the many ways to connect to your ancestors & re-weave the threads that tie us to all those who came before us, such as embracing spiralic time and physically going to the places they once were.
Becca is a writer, womxn's coach, and host of the Belonging podcast. She holds space for womxn to explore ancestral wisdom, connect with the earth, and find meaningful and inclusive sisterhood.
Show Notes
In this episode, we discuss:
How Belonging has shaped Becca’s life experience and work
How we live in the most prosperous times yet humanity feels more lonely than ever before
Mouse study in addiction: Rat Park experiment conducted by Bruce Alexander
How the systems we live in (capitalism, patriarchy, etc) perpetuate loneliness, disconnection, and “not enoughness” - severing us from a deep sense of rootedness
How Becca believes we can cultivate a deeper sense of resilience by looking at our ancestors and ancestral ways
How Becca got inspired to looking at her own ancestry, and how making things with her hands was a deeper calling, evoking a longing to return to sisterhood
Cultural appropriation in spiritual communities - exploration of why she too participated in it, and that it ultimately stemmed from loneliness
Becca’s own pilgrimage returning to the lands of her ancestors
How DNA tests fit into all of it, and the inherent privilege in being able to take a DNA test as a person of european descent
How to honor your ancestry, cultivate a deeper connection with your ancestors
The surprising thing Becca found out about her own ancestral lineage
How discussions about race and ancestry can lead to a “freeze” response, and yet we have the ability to move through it and make reparations
What Becca has to say to those that claim “we don’t need to feel bad for what dead men did.”
How to turn shame into action and allyship, and ways to make reparations
How to begin connecting with the indigenous people of the land you are occupying, and the ways to support them
The ways Becca is making reparations, honoring and connecting with the people of the lands her family has occupied
How Becca deals with her inner anger, and building her “resilience muscle” in service of waking up
What is ancestral non-linear time, i.e. spiralic, circular, whole time consciousness
How language can inform concept of time, and contextualizes life experiences
The practice of chronos vs chiros time, and how Becca infuses ancestral time using these principles
How to be a good ancestor NOW and why it’s so important
What is feeding Becca’s wild, and how it ties into her sense of Belonging
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Connect With Becca Piastrelli
Spring 2019 Pilgrimage to Ireland - beccapiastrelli.com/ireland2019
Becca’s Podcast: belongingpodcast.com
Resources + Links Mentioned
Milla Prince, The Woman Who Married A Bear
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Wildly Rooted Resources
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